Good Food
Mori Ex Cacao; Bacon Salt; Liquid Nitrogen in the Kitchen
We discover gourmet soul food, bacon salt and salt brining tips. We revolutionize simple food, learn about edible films that fight food-borne illnesses, and get the pros of eating a high fat diet. Plus, we make elegantly spooky chocolate skulls and learn the wonders of liquid nitrogen in the kitchen.
By Evan Kleiman • • 1h 0m ListenJonathan Gold finds “larky” soul food in Eagle Rock. Justin Esch passes the bacon salt, while writer Russ Parsons shares salt brining tips. Author Alice Waters revolutionizes simple food and Kim Severson talks about using edible films and coatings to help fight food-borne illnesses. Science journalist Gary Taubes defends the high fat diet and Valerie Gordon makes elegantly spooky chocolate skulls. Plus, Kirsten Sanford tells how to use liquid nitrogen in the kitchen and Laura Avery finds what’s in season in the Market Report.
In this episode
9 storiesThe Market Report
Laura Avery runs into an excited David Karp, the Fruit Detective, who reveals fresh yuzu, the Japanese citrus that is made into ponzu sauce (Japanese ketchup.) Yuzu has an intense lemony, grapefruit smell and the rind has all the flavor.
Read the story7 minThe Gold Standard: Larkin's
Pulitzer Prize-winning critic and LA Weekly columnist Jonathan Gold strikes gold with Larkin's in Eagle Rock. Jonathan describes Larkin's cuisine as "riffs on soul food", a bit more upscale, but very tasty.
Read the story7 minBacon Salt
Bacon Salt co-founder Justin Esch is on a mission to make everything taste like bacon. Indulge your greasy yen for bacon without all the mess of frying it. The salt comes in three flavors: original, hickory and peppered; plus it's Kosher and vegetarian.
Read the story7 minSalt Brining Tips
A simple way to get the full flavor out of meats is to let it marinate in salt. Los Angeles Times food writer and author Russ Parsons shares tips on salt brining. He recommends brining turkey in a large pot of salted water or salt rubbing the skin. His latest book is How to Pick a Peach .
Read the story7 minThe Art of Simple Food
Alice Waters is known the world-over for birthing the California cuisine movement. Her restaurant, Chez Panisse in Berkeley, started a culinary revolution. Now she's ready to revolutionize food again in her new book, The Art of Simple Food .
Read the story7 minEdible Films, Coatings and Powders
Food-borne pathogens are cropping up everywhere. The latest E. coli scare in ground beef points to a serious problem with controlling our food supply. But technology is not far behind. Right now scientists are perfecting the transformation of bacteria-fighting foods into edible films that can protect us.
Read the story7 minGood Calories, Bad Calories
Are there such thing as good calories and bad ones? Remember the Atkins diet, which stressed lots of animal proteins and fats and no carbs? Award-winning Science Magazine correspondent Gary Taubes contends that carbohydrates make you get fat more than fats actually do in his new book, Good Calories, Bad Calories .
Read the story6 minMori Ex Cacao
Valerie Gordon of Valerie Confections makes elegantly spooky chocolate skulls called mori ex cacao (death by chocolate.) The skulls are made of bittersweet chocolate, filled with one of three centers (scorched caramel, bitter brandied cherry or curious chili,) then painted with colored cocoa butter. Enjoy them year-round!
Read the story5 minLiquid Nitrogen in the Kitchen
Liquid nitrogen is one of those incredible substances that cools as it melts. Kirsten Sanford tells how to use liquid nitrogen, or dry ice, in the kitchen. She is the host and producer of This Week in Science . Visit her Kirsten's podcast or website for more fun with science.
Read the story6 min
